Bridal Veil

It is so good to be back in the mountains again. I mean REAL mountains!!! We stayed the weekend at our family cabin near Sundance and we decided to visit Bridal Veil Falls while we were there. Here are a few awesome pics of our crew, cute cousins and all!

The Winds of Change

Change is one of the hardest things for people to deal with and I must say my kids are pros. The only consolation I have in our 13 moves in 13 years of marriage is that my kids can take on the obstacles that cause the winds of change to uproot their once steady and stables lives and drop them down somewhere unknown, different and probably scary.

Our move back to Utah was such an easy transition for them I am certain family has everything to do with that. Utah has been the only consistent place in their lives. Our summer holidays spent amongst family and these magnificent mountains was a thing we all looked forward to. In fact, if there was one difficult thing about moving to Utah my kids are left now wondering if their summers will ever be as fun again. However, that aside, life is good as we settle into our new routines and with our new friends and the comforts of family.

However, life never stops changing. Amongst the big changes are those tiny changes that rock my boat and cause the grey hairs on my head to multiply faster than the pimples on my daughters face.

Hormones, not my hormones but those that are infecting my 11 year old. Yes, 11 year old. Savannah is 5' 6", looks 14 and acts 14. Am I ready for this change? NO! Already my life is centered around the choices she makes the friends she has and the boys that constantly look at her. The price that comes with looking much older than she is, are the boys that are much older looking at her and literally driving me crazy! I am not ready for this change. I love raising the innocent and naive, and I am not sure I can deal with this new phase of my life. As we argue about the appropriate age to wear makeup, shave your legs and look at boys differently; I find that I am my mom. I guess I can be grateful she was a good one! Thank goodness I have an active husband who loves his role as a daddy of many many daughters. I think that having that boy in the middle will lighten our load and give us a few years of slow production in wrinkles and grey hairs.

Madison is evolving as well. Out of the girly phase and into a tough athlete; I find myself anxious about her upcoming teenage years as well but excited. I truly believe if we can keep boys out of my daughters lives not only will it be easier for me it just might be easier for them! I never thought I would want my daughters to be geeks, the perfect repellent for boys, but I do find myself thinking that geek is contentment. However Madison, although has crazy teeth is not a geek in the slightest sense but has zero interest in boys too, unlike big sister! Ugh! I wont get started back on that child again!

Carson is taller, older, stronger, but still the uncoordinated goof that he is but I doubt will always be. He loves his mommy and like I said before, he is the biggest blessing in the mix of girl hormones! I am not sure I could function if it weren't for his interrupting the pink moments with his boyish style and love for all things dirty.

Rylie is ever changing as she longs to be a big girl. My skinny little scrap of a girl, physically she can be toppled but emotionally look out. This girl is one big emotional outburst but don't mess with her for she will not under any circumstances put up with your disagreeableness or anything else she doesn't like. She just might be 4 going on 24 but I love my days spent with her singing and dancing and most importantly snuggling.

Emma, like most babies, changes with any given day. Enormous in size she is also enormous in personality. To be heard amongst 5 kids she has learned to be loud. From the screeching high pitched wails to the stomping across the wood floor, this chick is one loud chick and there is literally NOTHING small about her. And like your typical youngest child she is adored, cherished and loved in ridiculous amounts. As difficult as it is to watch Savannah change, it is equally as difficult to watch Emma. No longer a baby she toddles around the house acting big, looking big and making her mommy sad all at the same time. Just like big sister!

But what would life be without these changes. Some devastatingly hard, like saying goodbye to wonderful friends, and some stressful wrinkle causing ones like kids growing up, but what we would learn? How would we grow? As life changes so do we. Life is change...so let's metamorphose!

My own tribute

Last year I wrote a tribute to 9/11. Just wanted to share it once again.

A Day to Remember, Never to Forget